Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-06-01
STOP THE DISPERSION OF JURIES.

Our next Legislature should pass a law
prohibiting the dispersion of a jury, en-
gagged in the trial of any case involving
capital punishment, for any purpose what
ever, after the trial has once commenced.
The law should provide for the food and
refreshment of the jurors during the entire
trial, and they should be kept constantly
under guard so as to cut off communlca-
ton with the outside world. We believe
this is the practice in the United States
Courts, and in some Of the State Courts,
but in South Carolina, when the trial lasts
more than one day, the custom is simply
to caution the jury against conversing
with any one about the case. This seems
to US a very insufficient protection to the
administration of justice, especially when
it is taken into consideration that the
twenty challenges allowed the defendant
has enabled his skillful attorneys to elm
mate nearly every particle of intelligence
and decency from the jury. The average
mortal is weak, but what must be said of
the material that is usually selected to try
an important murder case? In these re-
marks we desire to be understood as max
ing no local reflections whatever, for as a
general thing the juries of Aiken county
have faithfully performed their duty, as is
exhibited by the fact that in the last elev-
en- years there have been eight convictions
for murder, two of them being white
men. Seven of these culprits were hung,
two of them being white. We speak in a
general sense, and we insist that after the
skillful attorneys of the murderer have
exercised the right of twenty peremptory
challenges and any number for cause, that
the jury is generally composed OF just
such men as no sensible merchant or other
business man would like to do business
with, and yet these men are turned loose
over night, during a trial, 10 wander
through the barrooms OF the town, and
who knows what influences are brought
to bear upon them?
Let the number of peremptory chal.
lenges be reduced to five and the jury be
kept in close custody during the entire
trial, even though it last a week, and
Judge Lynch will find little work to do in
South Carolina.-Aiken Recorder.
GROWING TREES FOR RAILWAY TIES.
A notable phase of railway industry is a
railway tie nursery, situated near the little
town Of darlington, Kansas, in the SOUTH
ern part of that State. 1t is said to be the
largest artificial plantation of forest trees
in North America, and is owned by the
Southern Pacific. The different sections
have been planted, respectively, two, four
and six years, one-fourth being planted
with the ailanthus, the rest with the catal-
pa, together with a few of white ash.
Those first planted are now about twenty
five feet in height, the last about twelve,
and some of the taller are sever inches
through the stem. There are in all about
three million trees, in full vigor, on the
plantation all were planted four feet apart
each way, to shade the ground, though
eight feet is the ultimate intention, this
plan allowing three-fourths of the trees to
be cut out when they are ftfor fence posts.
When rather larger it is expected thetrees
will make excellent railway ties in great
numbers-that is, after a thinning out pro-
cess there will be somenine hundred thou
sand trees to come to maturity. The area
of this vast railway tie nursery is to be
still further increased.
A'PICTURE OF THE PLAINs.-One of
the most startling and romantic features
of border life occurred recently on the
Wild Horse prairie, thirty miles north of
Los Angeles, when a band of wild horses,
under the lead ola noble sorrel stallion
came g%alloping over the plains to recon-
noitre a company of surveyors engaged
in making a survey of the tract.
The band dashed toward Capt. Keller
and his party of surveyors till within
500 feet, when the leader halted in a proud
and defiant manner, with neck curved,
postrils distended, erect, and tail on dress
parade, and all the band ranged them.
selves on each side of him like a squad
of cavaly in battle change. After survey
ing the scene for a few moments the
leader galloped away, followed by the
band in the most graceful and digni6ed
manner. The scene was most romantic,
and the picture of the lordly leader,
with his most obedient servants, in their
fleet and graceful motions, was worthy
of an artists pencil.
There was another band of wild horses
on the same prairie, under the leadership
of q dark mahogany bay stallion, with
black name, tail and knees. In this band
there are two white horses and the rest are
bay and sorrel mainly.
Observation-Disclosures make the man."
says the proverb. 1t may be true that
some mems manners have been the
making of them but, as manners are
rather the expression of the man, it would
be more proper to say the man makes the
manners.